Low-Pressure Ultrafiltration Systems for Wastewater Contaminant Removal

Abstract

Low-pressure ultrafiltration is still in the preliminary stages of development as a unit process in municipal waste and wastewater treatment. Recently, the membrane process of reverse osmosis, developed initially for use in desalination, has attracted attention as a promising method for treatment of wastewaters. Data on the separation or removal of pure organic solutes is needed to evaluate the potential application of ultrafiltration systems in wastewater treatment. The organic solutes in wastewater streams cannot, in general, be economically recovered by chemical means. Ultrafiltration has the potential of making possible the economic treatment of at least some industrial wastewaters. A pertinent example is the pulp and paper industry, in particular, research efforts now being conducted by the Pulp Manufacturers Research League.^(1,2,3) studies carried out on reverse-osmosis treatment of secondary-sewage plant effluent at Pomona, California⁽⁴⁾, have demonstrated the feasibility of reverse osmosis for treatment of complex wastewaters containing relatively high concentrations of organic pollutants.

Respectively: Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Civil Engineering, and Graduate Student studying for the M.S. Degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Skrinde became Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Iowa in September, 1969.